Cigarette lighter



May 9 i950 s. BURs'HsTi-:lN

CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed Nov. l5, 1946 Patented May 9, 1950 yUN l TE D JS TAT-.ES PAT-EN T O'F'FIC E CIGARETTE LIGHTER lShoel Burshstein, Winnipeg, Manitoba, `Canada.

yApplication N oveinber 15, 1946, Serial No. 710,077

(Clf67-7.1)

'2 Claims. `l

My invention 'relates to improvements in cigarette lighters, a'nY object being to vprovide a device of the Ycharacter herewithin described which is vof symmetrical and pleasing appearance from which vallpossible'dirt-collecting' projections, exposed recesses, ledges, corners and dirt and dust admitting cracks and Aopenings have Vloeen'eliminated, which lits thehand, accommodating itself to a natural and comfortable :action by the thumb on the snufier in such away Athat upon ropening the'snuier, 'the llame is a maximum distance `away from the thumb.

A further yobject oi' the present invention is to provide a lighter Which'is' so designed that I'the snuffer thereof maybe-opened. the wick ignited 'regardless fof Awhich side of vthe bifacial casing is in opposition te the-thumb since the thumb is as efficiently manipulable in ^a `countercloclzwise Aarc as Iin a clockwise are.

A further objectof the present invention is to provide a precision Vlighter wherein the ,rotating 'components are mounted rin ybronze vbearings and so designed that the vflame does not vdecompose the surrounding metal which vis vsostructured as to avoid any interception -'of the iiame.

A further object is toprovide a `lighterfof 'the character lierewithin described Which-in 'this design is particularlyWellysuited to-use with pipes in View -of theloca'tionfof the Wickvamaximum distance from the thumb in the ignited position.

A further `object .is to provide adevice of the character herewithin described in 4which a 4quantity of spare ,lintgs may be `Acarried and 'easily dispensed when needed, Aall without interfering with the tabulate, smooth and sclidappearance l of the device as-a-lwhole With the foregoing objects in view, landsucln other objeotsand advantages as-will vbecome apparent to those skilled in thevfart to which this invention relates as this tspecication proceeds, my invention consistsessentially'inthe arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter 'more particularly described, reference beinghad to the accompanying'drawings, in which:

Figure l is a sectional elevation vof my-cigarette lighter.

Figure 2 .isa plan of vmy lighter with the'fsnuier removed.

Figure 3 Ais `a side elevationof .my lighter.

Figure-fl is a fragmentary-sectional elevation illustrating my spare Aflint magazine.

Figure 5 is yan underside .fragmentary representation of vmy spare flint magazine.

In the drawings like characters fofereferenoe indicate corresponding parts Iinthe vdifferent figures.

My invention consists of a tablet-shaped or tabulate casing I 'comprised' of vthe bifacial vsurrounding wall "2, a sole-plate 3, and a coverplate li. Surmounting the above said casing yis la snuifer collectively designated f5 enclosing-the pyrophoric assemblylater to be described, the casing i being surrounded lby a mantle collectively designated S.

The soleplate 3 is planar and v provided with the screw threaded or `rfuel yreplenishing cap Vi, a

Vscrew-tllreadedY-iiin- -tube ca-p v8, and the rot/atable disc-9 forming part-of :nys-pare flint magazine collective-ly designated 'i'. VClo-axial with the capa is a dint-'tube 4l-I whichextendsparallel with the surrounding Wall 2 "of `my casing, but as clearly exemplified inFigure 1,--isoiiset with respect -to the'longitudinal axis of the casing, as well as being oiiset with respect to the -faces ll2 and i3 of ythe surrounding VWall Yas clearly exemplified in Figure'Z.

The cover-plate liV isobtusely angulated at the vertex ld so that one of the surface portions `l5 lies .parallel withtl're plane ofthe soleplate 3, while `the surface vportion it is 'diagonal with respect to the kplane of vthe isole-plate, or in other Words kinclined upwardly and Aoutward from the vertex ifi. vThe upper edge lfof the surrounding lvvall 2 coincident with the cover-plated, and 4similarly angulated, thus providing ythe side I8 which lies `parallel 0With the-sole--plate and the inclined or diagonal side i9.

The flint-tube Il opens onto the inclined surface portion It of my cover plated` while adjacent Vthe upper outer end'of the surface portion it is a Wick-aperturel, vbut it is to be understood that in referring to my Vcover-plated as obtusely angulated, I :disregard the promontories formed by the :projecting .part 2@ Aof flint-tube l i, the shoulder 2| adjacent thereto and the surround- .ingflange 22 of raperture l 9 as being insufficiently important, structurally, to influence the substantial accuracy of the above said term.

`Projecting upwardly from the casing '2 in the plane of the faces l2 :and le are bearing plates v22 on which my snuffer 5, 'and a coaxial fiint- Wheel 23 and dint-Wheel drive pinion ifi 'are journalled. The above saidwheel and pinion are in side-by-side contact via the complementari-ly ratcheted Walls 25 and 26 respectively, vthe mea vrbers 23 and 2i being free on the shaft 2l with the pinion 24 held linconi'act with flint wheel yby means'of the light spring? 23.

.fendfof the yWick-tube against the flint-'wheel A23.

Such spring 29, together with the wheel and pinion 23 and 24, the flint-tube I I, the wick and its aperture I9, and a conventional int, I consider to constitute the pyrophoric assembly aforesaid.

Proceeding now to ldescribe in detail my flint wheel rotating `and snulng component 5, the same will be seen to comprise the multi-curved over-spanning portion 3l which is of fairly inassive cross-section, and the cheek plates 32 by means of which the component is pivoted for rotation about the point 33, on the 'stub shaft 34 the ends of which extend into the .plates 22. A spring 34 of the configuration clearly illustrated encircles the shaft 34 via the spiral portion 35 thereof with the arms 35 and 31 bearing downwardly and upwardly against the cover-plate 4 and the portion 3| of the component respectively.

The contour of my component is what I designate as plurarcuate, internally nodal, obtusely, and eccentrically sectorial, such a gure being one in which the adjacent side edges 35 and 36 of the cheek plates 32 are of unequal length, and in which the two arcs 3 and 38 adjoining them would if produced intersect inwardly, and are internally tangential to the arc of a concentric sector of radius length greater than that of either side.

Thus, in the case f my snuifer, it will be observed that the arcs 31 and 38 are circumscribed between the radii 39 and the ends 49 and 4I respectively. The edges 35 and 36, however, converge towards the vertex 4 I which is directly below the axis of rotation 33 and oiset with respect to the axis of symmetry. Side 36 is longer than side 34, and is Iprovided with the snuffel` per se designated 43', but the arc of the interior surface 42 is concentric with respect to the rotary axis 33, and has secured thereto the concave rack 43 the teeth whereof mesh with the teeth of pinion 24.

Obviously, the overspanning contour of my snuiing component, instead of being continuously curved or formed by a plurality of intersecting curves having either interior or exterior nodes, may if desired be polygonal, and accordingly in certain of the claims appended hereto I designate such overspanning contour as ambilinear to embrace both a configuration of straight lines, a single curve or a plurality of curves.

It will be observed that I position sa thumb grip 44 at the apex of my snuffer, the said grip by virtue of its concavity defining, with the radii 39 and the line 35 what I designate as a figure of inversely arcuate, 4frusto-sectorial configuration, terminating at the ends thereof in the rounded ousps 46.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when my snuifer is rotated in a clockwise direction with respect to the accompanying Figure 1, the wick-aperture I9 will be exposed, the wick projecting therethrough being ignited by rotation of the flint-wheel 23 by rack 33 against a flint projecting from the tube II. The snuiier may be rotated until the right-hand cusp 46 comes up against the shoulder 4'I olf mantle B and during such rotation it will be apparent that the sectorial space 48 normally existing between side 34 and the surface portion I5 becomes occupied by the overlying portion of the snuffer. In this context it is to be noted that the vertical row of spaced apertures 49 are provided in that portion of the mantle 6 which encloses space 48 to provide the necessary oxygen for ignition.

By reference to the accompanying Figures 1 and 3 it will be particularly noticed that the upper edge 50 of my mantle 6 projects above the upper edge of the surrounding Wall 2 so that when the snuier is in the closed position illustrated, the interior structure thereof is sealed against the entrance of dirt and dust from the pockets of the user to the maximum practicable extent and thus my mantle functions as a dust-proof enclosure concealed within which is the entire mechanism of my lighter with the exception of the exposed [part of the overspanning |portion 3l, which is of unitary configuration and uninterrupted by any dust lodging cracks or openings.

My spare flint magazine I0 comprises the aforesaid rotatable disc 9 which, as will clearly be perceived from Figures 1 and 4 is countersunk into the sole plate 3 and there held rotatably by means of the screw 5I. Offset to one side of the disc 9 is an aperture 52 alignable with a plurality of spaced drillings 53 arranged annularly and at spaced intervals around the screw 5I within the thickness of the sole plate. From this arrangement it will be apparent that I am able to retain a substantial supply of spare flints within the several drillings 53, and discharge same simply by rotating the disc 9 into alignment with one or other of the drillings. In areas of the sole plate 3 where material of the thickness indicated is unnecessary, the same should be hogged-out to lighten my device as indicated at 54.

Since many modifications can be made in the invention herein described and since the accompanying drawings have been prepared only ,to illustrate the relative arrangement and interaction of parts and not with regard to accuracy of dimensions for manufacturing purposes which in view of this disclosure I consider to entail merely mechanical skill together with the skill of the mechanical draftsrnan, and since many apparently widely diierent embodiments of this invention may be anade within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims without departing from such spirit and scope it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specication shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense and I desire only such limitations placed thereon as justice dictates.

What I claim las my invention is:

1. A single-action lighter having a tabletshaped casing comprising a surrounding wall, a sole-plate and a cover-plate at the ends thereof, said cover-plate when viewed in side elevation being seen to be obtusely and eccentrically angulated with the interior angle on top, one side, the shorter, lying parallel to the plane of said soleplate, and the other, the longer, extending diagonally upwards and away from the vertex of the angle between the two sides, said diagonal side having a wick-aperture therein, a flint-tube extending through said casing parallel with said wall but oiTset on the wick-aperture side of the longitudinal casing-axis, said tube opening onto said cover-plate between said vertex and said wick-aperture, a flint-wheel adjacent said iiinttube opening, an adjacent pinion engageable with said iiint-wheel, and a snufng and flint wheel actuating component having a contour when considered in side elevation, and in closed position, being obtusely and eccentrically sectorial, and having a pair of obtusely angulated edges of unequal length both diverging upwardly from the vertex of the angle thereof, an overspanning surface between the said edges, said overspanning surface being curved to the contour of two arcs of similar curvature when struck about a pair of horizontally spaced centrepoints equidistant upon either side of the said longitudinal casing-axis, the longer side of said cover-plate and the longer edge of said component being contiguous and parallel when the component is in closed position, said component being mounted for rotation on said casing substantially vertically above the vertex of the angle formed by the sides of said cover-plate eccentrically to said longitudinal casing-axis, co-incidentally with one of said centrepoints, and at the vertex of an eqnilateral triangle the ibase angles whereof touch the edges of said component, a snuffel' per se on the longer edge of said component in rotary alignment with said wick-aperture, an arcuate, internally toothed rack within said component and similarly movable therewith for actuating said pinion ulpon the manual. rotation of said component into open position, and spring means for automatically returning said component to snuiling or closed position after manual release from open position, said casing having at least one air-intake aperture therein between the said shorter side of said 6 cover-plate, and the shorter edge of said snuing and flint-wheel actuating component.

2. The device asv dened in claim 1 which includes a mantle surrounding said cover-plate, said mantle projecting substantially above the plane of said cover-plate substantially all around 'the perimeter thereof.

SHOEL BURSHSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this :patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,487,995 Wilkins Mar. 25, 1924 1,669,303 Maltner May 8, 1928 1,896,140 Kaufmann Feb. 7, 1933 2,196,879 Trollen Apr. 9, 1940 2,449,314 Nissen Sept. 14, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 128,406 Austria May 25, 1932 464,187 Great Britain Apr. 13, 1937 

